That this decision needed to be made says so much about how badly things have gone for Masahiro Tanaka, but if the Yankees weren’t going to put him on the disabled list to get him a breather, pushing him back one day to Monday was the only other move they could make.

Tanaka couldn’t be sent out there Sunday afternoon against the Orioles, who hung seven runs on him in 5.2 innings two starts ago on May 31. So Joe Girardi announced Friday that Tanaka will instead pitch on the road against the Angels one day later, and there are enough reasons why this makes sense.

The Yanks had to try something, had to find some way to change things up for their $155 million pitcher who currently has an American League-worst 6.55 ERA through 12 starts. He’s had a tough time against the Orioles this year, allowing three runs, six hits and four walks in his other start in Baltimore on April 8. The Angels team he’ll face Monday has a poor offense and is missing injured superstar Mike Trout.

“There’s all kind of factors, right?” Girardi said before Friday’s series-opener against the O’s. “He’s struggling. Baltimore’s seen him a lot; an extra day’s not gonna hurt him. It’s just all those things that we thought. We’ve talked about his confidence. When you don’t do something well for a while, it’s human nature. Some people could say you’re more comfortable in your own home and you’ve got a long flight. There’s a lot of different things, but we just thought the extra day would be good and pitching in Anaheim is what’s best for him.”

The Yankees are pretty darn good despite Masahiro Tanaka's struggles.

(Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Tanaka, through his interpreter, said it wasn’t a big deal he got pushed back to Monday and he does see it as helpful. “Just in a sense that it gives you an extra rest day. So yes, in that sense,” he said.

Options for Sunday’s to-be-determined starter include guys at the major-league level and in Triple-A, Girardi said, without naming names. Chance Adams, the 22-year-old who has a 1.55 ERA through 11 minor-league starts split between Double-A and Triple-A, is currently slated to pitch for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. Bryan Mitchell, who’s already on the 40-man roster, is scheduled to pitch for the Triple-A club on Saturday. Chad Green could also be an option out of the big-league pen. Girardi said he won’t be going to a six-man rotation beyond the next turn through.

Interestingly, Tanaka’s numbers this year with five days of rest are far, far worse than they were last season. He has a 7.39 ERA and 2-4 record in seven starts on exactly five days of rest in 2017. Last year he had a 2.41 ERA and an 8-1 mark in 13 starts on five days of rest.

Masahiro Tanaka currently has an American League-worst 6.55 ERA through 12 starts.

(Brad Penner/USA Today Sports)

But it’s not as if Tanaka has been great in other scenarios. His ERA on four days of rest is 5.68 in three starts, and he has a 5.40 ERA in two starts with at least six days of rest.

Ultimately, no matter how much rest he has or which team he faces or whether he’s at home or on the road, Tanaka can’t be pressing as he admitted after his last start he was, and he must find a way to better locate his pitches. He says he never struggled this much in Japan, which makes it more difficult to deal with.

“That’s the tough part about baseball,” Tanaka said. “I feel like I understand why the command is not there, and you try to fix that, but it doesn’t necessarily work out in your favor although you’re trying to fix that. So I guess I’m in the process of it right now as well, but I’m trying to fix that and trying to be more consistent.”

The Yanks had to try something.

(Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The Yankees are pretty darn good despite Tanaka’s struggles. The Bombers are hitting well and their lineup could get stronger with the close return of Greg Bird and the possibility of Gleyber Torres being called up later this season. They entered Friday’s game with the fifth-best record in the majors and had the eighth-best starters ERA at 4.02. If Tanaka can somehow regain his top form and sustain it, the Yankees’ chances at a World Series title become significantly more realistic.

Right now Tanaka needs to have one good start, which will now come on Monday in Anaheim. If he doesn’t, it’ll be time for a longer respite.